Subjunctive uses

SUBORDINATE USES OF THE SUBJUNCTIVE

Primary tenses (present, future, future perfect)

If the main verb is a primary tense, use the following subjunctives to show proper relationship to the main verb:

same time/after: present subjunctive

before: perfect subjunctive

• If the main verb is a secondary tense, use the following subjunctives to show proper relationship to the main verb:– same time/after:

imperfect subjunctive– Before: pluperfect

Sequence of tensesSecondary Tenses (imperfect, perfect, pluperfect)

• Caesar wrote the Gallic Commentaries so that people would not forget him.

• Sallust wrote so that he might explain the Catiline conspiracy.

• Brutus was awaiting a time when he might betray Caesar with a knife

Sequence of tenses

• POSITIVE PURPOSE ( POSITIVE MEANS IT HAPPENS)– INTRODUCED BY UT– SHOWS THE PURPOSE OF AN ACTION• EXAMPLE

–Plinius scripsit ut laudaret suam uxorem.–Pliny wrote so that he might praise his

wife.

PURPOSE CLAUSES

• NEGATIVE PURPOSE ( WON’T HAPPEN)– INTRODUCED BY NE– SHOWS THE PURPOSE OF NOT DOING AN ACTION– EXAMPLE• Cicero comprehendit Catilinae manum ne patriam

vastarent.• Cicero arrested Catilina’s band of men so that they

would not destroy the country.

PURPOSE CLAUSES

• INTRODUCED BY UBI• SHOWS WHY THE SUBJECT OF THE SENTENCE

AS DONE SOMETHING• EXAMPLE

• Cicero tempus exspectabat ubi Catilinam verbis oppugnaret.• Cicero was awaiting a time when he might attack

Catilina with words.

ADVERBIAL PURPOSE

• Introduced by a form of qui, quae, quod• Gives the purpose more closely connected with a

noun or pronoun than a verb• Example– Cicero accepit epistulam quae explicaret Catilinae

coniurationem.– Cicero received a letter to explain Catilina’s conspiracy – Cicero received a letter which explained Catilina’s

conspiracy.

Relative clause of purpose

• Shows the result of the main verb– Madge was so angry that she threw a platter at Herb.

• Introduced by ut for something that did, will, or could happen

• Introduced by ut plus a negative (ne, non, nullus, et al.) for something that did not, will not, could not happen

• The main clause will usually contain a word that means “so” such as tam, sic, talis, tantus, tot, adeo;

• These words should act as signals that a result clause is coming.– Pompeuis Iuliam tam amavit ut civitatem neglegaret.

Result Clauses

• Temporal: establishes the time when something occurs– Verb will be indicative– Cum translated as when

• Circumstantial: explain the circumstances under which something occurs– Verb will be subjunctive– Cum translated as since or when

Cum Clauses

• Causal: explains the reason something happens

• Verb will be subjunctive• cum will translate as since or because

• Concessive: explains something that may have blocked or hindered the main verb–Verb will be subjunctive– Cum will translate as although

Cum Clauses continued

• Indirect questions– Whenever a question is reported in a statement,

this is an indirect statement.• I know what you are planning. Scio quid facias.

– The main verb wil be a verb or asking or telling such as rogo, peto, quaero

– The verb of the question portion will be subjunctive.– The question portion will be introduced by an

interrogative word such as ubi, cur, quare, quo. Quis, quid, quo modo, quantus, qualis et al.

Subjunctives in Indirect Speech

• Indirect command: reports a direct command– Command portion will be subjunctive– Main verb will be a verb of commanding or

persuading such as mando, impero, persuadeo, suadeo, moneo, oro, et al

– The command portion will be introduced by ut for positive, ne for negative• Caesar imperavit milites ut hostem oppugnaret.

Subjunctives in Indirect speech

• Clauses of fearing: with verbs or expressions of fear, what is feared will use the subjunctive–Use ne if you fear something will happen• Calupurnia timet ne Caesar interfectus esset a

Bruto.

Use ut if you fear something will not happen.Brutus timet ut civitas supersit.

Subjunctives in Indirect Speech

Expression of FearWords of fear

timeo, timere, timuivereor, vereri, veritus

summetus, metuspavor, pavoristerror, terrorisextimesco, extimescere,

extimuipertimesco,

pertimescere, pertimuiformido, formidinisformido, formidaretimor, timoris

• If you have a subordinate clause such as a relative clause inside an indirect statement, indirect question, or indirect command, put the verb of the indirect statement in the subjunctive

• These sentences usually have three verbs.– Turducken sentences

• Caesar ordered the soliders to attack the enemy who was hiding in the ditch.– Ordered main clause– Attack indirect command– Hiding discourse

Subordinate clauses in indirect discourse

• Characterizes or describes a general or indefinite antecedent

• Common after phrases such as est qui, sunt qui, nemo est qui, quis est qui

• Use a subjunctive verb for the relative clause part

• Usually translate as– Of that sort, the kind that …..– Quis est cliens quo interficiat suum patronum?

Relative Clause of Characteristic

• When an action is anticipated, when dum means until, and antequam or priusquam means before, use the subjuntive.

• If these words introduce an actual fact, use the indicative.

Anticipation

• Introduced by mostly by si, nisi, an• Simple Conditions will probably happen and use

indicative verbs regardless of the tense.• If Caesar conquers Gaul, he will be powerful• Si Caesar vincit Galliam, erit potens.

• Future Conditionals can be one of two types: more vivid which will probably happen and uses future perfect and future indicative verbs and less vivid which is not likely to happen and uses the present subjunctive.

Conditionals

• More Vivid– If she sees him, she will run.• Si viderit eum, curret.

• Less Vivid– If she should see him, she would run.• Si videat eum, currat.

• The writer uses the grammar to inform the reader of the likelihood of the conditional occurring.

Conditionals Continued

• Contrary to Fact– Cannot happen or will not happen– Use imperfect subjunctive if English present– Use pluperfect subjunctive for past

– If I were you, I would not do that.• Si essem te, ego non facerem id.

– If I had known the facts, I would have acted more quickly.• Si cognovissem facta, egissem celerius.

Conditionals continued